Best online casino Canada

Top Canadian Gamblers Play, Win and Recommend

When it comes to finding a best Canadian online casino, many Canadians become overwhelmed just by the sheer choice of options that are out there. When you do a simple Google search, there are pages of sources that list hundreds of online casinos. Finding ones that are legitimate, reliable and interesting is where it can become difficult. To help those looking to test their luck, our experienced Canadian gaming analysts in cooperation with the experts from Online Casino Valley have done all of the legwork, rating and chose only the most exciting and secure online casinos.

We use opinions of successful players – winners who have won in a casino numerous times and those who are aware of what other players should know when choosing a particular type of game or casino. For example, the rating designed to simplify your choice shows, that due to the majority of characteristics, the most optimal choice will be any of the leaders presented on the list:

What Features Should You Look For in an Online Casino?

There are several aspects that you want to consider when deciding on which best Canada’s online casino to play at. In terms of gaming pleasure, you are going to want to look at the range and types of games that are available, what platform you want to play on and whether the visual appeal of the games is of major importance. Other than this, you will want to ensure you are playing at a secure and regulated casino, one that takes your deposit method and one that has a lot of promotions and welcome bonuses.

Taking a Look at the Game Options

To start with, a good Canadian casino is going to have a large selection of the most popular games. These will include roulette, slots, blackjack, craps, and poker (video and cards). You may also see Baccarat Punto Banco (card game), Keno (numbers game), Texas Hold’em and Caribbean Stud Poker both of which are multi-player card games. You will find games both with a low house edge (poker, blackjack, and baccarat) as well as games with a high house edge like Keno. There will be hundreds of variants off of the main types of games, giving you hundreds of options. A great example of one is Platinum Play, a download-based casino that has over 600 games to choose from which include popular choices like roulette and blackjack. Keep in mind that a high-quality casino will add new slot machines and other games consistently, creating an immersive game-play experience that never dulls. In fact, no matter what game you play – there are always important details in each of them that may increase your odds of winning. Check it out:

There are some online casinos that will also offer free-to-play games alongside their paid options, which will allow you to get more out of your experience as you can get a feel for what you like before putting money down. JackpotCity is a great example of this, as users can sign-up for a free casino account and play on over 400 games for free, including their renowned slot variants. If a user ever wants to play for real-cash, it’s as simple as swapping your account over. Plus, JackpotCity caters to all three types of casino software, meaning anyone can instant-play with their no download games, download their client onto their desktop or even play on their mobile software. So if you are the type of online gambler that likes to master a game first, choosing a casino with a free-to-play selection should be a priority.

Finding One With the Right Deposit Method

Once you have found a casino with the types of games you want to play, take a look at the deposit methods available. According to Good Casinos, you don’t need to go to a casino that offers a dozen different options for deposit, just one that accepts your payment method of choice. If you choose to use credit, bank transfer or debit, you will have an easier time finding a best online casino in Canada. Some examples that have bank and credit or debit deposit options include JackpotCity, 888Casino, Platinum Play, BetWay, and All Slots Casino.

However, there are also many other payment options available that online casinos accept. For Canadian players most popular of supported methods are those:

Some other popular examples include PayPal, Payeer, Neteller, Skrill, Payoneer, Poli, iDeal and GiroPay which are NOT accepted in Canada and are primarily used in Australia, the United States and Europe. Speaking about e-wallets, in most cases they will require you to use a credit or debit card to deposit funds into the wallet and then use the wallet to deposit into the casino. You may also be able to use an e-check, bank wire transfer or a credit or debit card directly, permitting that the casino accepts it.

It is important to note that a lot of online casinos will only allow you to withdraw to the deposit option used to fund your account, so make sure to read the fine print on this when signing up! An example of this would be at All Slots Casino where all withdrawals are paid back the way the money was deposited. The only time this changes is if it was deposited using a prepaid card, such as a PaySafeCard as the money is then sent by cheque.

In addition to the above, make sure to take a look at the withdrawal fees and the withdrawal threshold. There is usually a minimum threshold that you can withdraw at and most casinos will tack on a fee per withdrawal transaction.

Take a Look at the Welcome Bonuses and Promotions

Most casinos will provide new customers with a welcome bonus of some kind. Every online casino will offer a different type of bonus but there are a few common ones that you will see consistently. These include:

Free Spins: you will often see these on online casinos that have a large selection of slot machines. These may also be tied specifically to VIP membership programs. See Platinum Play Online Casino who provides 50 free spins, Casino Land which gives 50 free spins on a $50 deposit under their Gold Lab Tuesday promotion, and Bethard which gives 25 free spins as part of their welcome bonus.

No-deposit Bonus: this is a popular one, where the player can use the bonus to play without having to deposit any of their own money.

Match Bonuses on First Deposit: this is a very common one where you will get your first deposit matched dollar for dollar up to a certain point for signing up as a new customer. It is likely that you will see a 25-40x rollover requirement which means that you have to wager 25-40x the amount of your deposit and bonus before the bonus money is yours to withdraw. See SpinPalace.

Percentage Bonuses: this is similar to match bonuses in that it is commonly seen on the first deposit, but it can also be applied to subsequent deposits. See Betway, JackpotCity and All Slots Casino and River Belle, all of which will match your deposit with bonuses.

Loyalty Bonuses: these will be match bonuses done on subsequent deposits for loyal members.

Cash-back Bonuses: this is either a refund in bonus money or real cash that you get put back into your account after losing a certain percentage over a specific period of time or on a specific type of game. The percentage is usually between 5 and 25% but will vary from casino to casino.

Membership to Loyalty/VIP Clubs: these are really good for gamblers who have found a specific casino that they really like and know that they will continue playing there consistently for a longer period of time.

Invitations to Special Events: these are incredibly valuable as they allow you to participate in events that have excellent odds of winning. These events will either have a low-stake entry or will be free to participate in.

Some online casinos will even combine a few of the above bonuses. For instance, JackpotCity not only has a percentage based bonus on the first three deposits, but they also have a “membership” loyalty program that allows users to redeem loyalty points for casino credits (cash-back bonus). Another good example of this includes Platinum Play, who provides a percentage based bonus and 50 free spins.

Usually, there are also referral bonuses, where the referee gets a bonus when their account is registered and the referrer is mentioned during the sign-up process. Once the referee completes the stated requirements, the referrer will also get a bonus.

Keep in mind there are also non-cashable bonuses (known as sticky or phantom bonuses) where the player gets an X amount added to their balance but cannot cash it out. Often these bonuses are immediately deducted from the player’s balance when they go to make a withdrawal.

What Type of Online Casinos Are Out There?

A web-based online casino (flash based/browser casinos), allow users to play without downloading and installing any software. Browser-based plugins are used to load the graphics, animations, and sounds. A user requires a browser that supports one of the following: Adobe Flash, Macromedia Shockwave, Java or HTML5.

A download-based online casino requires the user to download and install the software on their personal computer. The sounds, graphics, and animations are cached within the software which allows the software to run faster, have more features and allow the user to experience smoother gameplay. The user will require an account login which can be created on the operator’s website.

A live-dealer online casino has a human croupier who hosts the game online (in real time). Through a live video-streaming platform the players can see what dealer is doing and interact with him on their computer or console. Live-dealer casinos usually offer only a few popular games because it is extremely expensive to upkeep both staff and equipment. You won’t see hundreds of different options for these types of sites.

A sports betting website allows players to actively place wagers on predictive outcomes of various types of sports. This could be an outcome of a hockey game, the Superbowl or a horse race. Currently, Canadian laws state that residents may only “place parlay bets or bets that cover more than a single sporting event” and that betting on a single outcome is currently illegal.

The Three Types of Online Casino Software and The Developers Behind Them

When specifically looking at the software that casinos use, you will come across three different types. These include standalone casino software, flashed based software and mobile software. Both the standalone and flash based casinos will have more features and a higher visual appeal than that of mobile casinos, which are considered more accessible because they do not require the use of a computer.

To break this down even further, the software of standalone casinos is most popular because of its ease of use and reliability – the user will simply download it on the casino’s website, install and then log-in using an account that they created with the casino operator. It does not require the use of an internet browser once the software has been downloaded and installed which makes it easy to access after the initial setup.

Flash-based casinos are great for those who do not want to or cannot download anything onto their computer. Often, those who are playing on a shared computer or on a public network are recommended to use these types of casinos. They only require an internet connection and an internet browser that has Flash Media installed. For those who follow the evolution of how content is presented on the World Wide Web, HTML5 is considered the new flash. For those who want to play flash based casinos, all new and upgraded browsers will support the newer HTML5 casinos which will be faster and have more options than older flashed based casinos.

Finally, mobile casino software is seen on mobile devices only, which will include tablets and smartphones. With cellular networks in Canada having higher speeds and greater bandwidth options, mobile casinos are incredibly convenient for those who want to play on the go. The only downside to this software type is that they are not nearly as visually appealing.

There are three well-known software developers behind the majority of the online casinos you see. Not only do they provide the games, which will include table games, slots, live dealer games, bingo and sports betting, they also provide the platforms you use to play these games.

Microgaming: offers their software on all types of platforms and according to their United Kingdom website, this includes wearables, mobile, download and browser play. They are the world’s largest supplier of casino slot games including poker and bingo. They are a privately held software development company which offers both instant-play and a downloadable application for Windows Operating Systems. They even have a multi-player component which “brings players together on Download, Flash and Quickfire” applications, allowing all three types of communities to come together to play and chat.

Playtech: is known as the leader for casino table games with gorgeous graphics and sounds that accompany all of their games. They offer “omnichannel gambling” which means gameplay is available anywhere at anytime.

NetEnt: is considered the leader in accessibility and flexibility, as their games do not require a software download or installation to play. This makes them one of the best for browser casino gaming. It also doesn’t hurt that the graphics of their online games are fantastic when compared to other browser-based software development companies.

Depending on which platform you want to play on will determine which software and operator you go with.

Finally, a high-quality casino will have a strong and believable reputation and their company terms and contact information will be transparent. This means that when deciding on which casino to go with, not only do you need to choose one where you will be comfortable playing at, but you need to be able to understand how the casino operates and be able to contact them. Make sure to check that there is live chat available or call the company directly to ensure that all of their information checks out and that there are no gaps or loopholes in their terms and conditions. If you have a great experience in talking with or contacting their customer service, you will have more than likely found a legitimate and secure casino to play at.